South Georgia Geography

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America

Geographic coordinates:

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:

Antarctic Region

Area:

total:
3,903 sq km

land:
3,903 sq km

water:
0 sq km

note:
includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of some nine islands

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

NA km

Maritime claims:

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM

Climate:

variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Terrain:

most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Natural resources:

fish

Land use:

arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards:

the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia

Disclaimer: Although we've tried to make
the information on this web site as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility
for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information
published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with
the relevant authorities before you travel.